Nearly a dozen college coaches who scouted and game-planned against the incoming rookies spoke with ESPN to break down the biggest storylines following the 2026 NBA draft, including the top four picks, a point guard tier, first-round standouts and second-round sleepers.
AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick by Washington, entered the draft as the top prospect from the 2025 high school class after reclassifying in 2023 and completing one season at BYU. He led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game, earned consensus All-American honors, had two 40-plus point games, recorded a 33-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against Eastern Washington in December, set the Big 12 tournament freshman scoring record and became the first freshman since Stephen Curry in 2007 to score 30-plus in an NCAA tournament debut, according to ESPN.
Coaches highlighted Dybantsa’s competitiveness and willingness to shoulder responsibility. Opponents noted he frequently guarded opposing leading scorers and sought to do everything to win. Several coaches described him as a prototypical, oversized ballhandling wing at a position that has produced players such as Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kawhi Leonard, and said his mindset and confidence align with previous NBA stars, per ESPN.
Scouts who saw him regularly tried to double him but said Dybantsa repeatedly created his own shot, converting difficult midrange attempts and excelling in transition while drawing fouls and forcing defenses to scramble. At the same time, coaches pointed to limitations: midrange pullups were a large part of his game and his perimeter shot was inconsistent, with 49 made 3-pointers on 33.1 percent shooting for the season, according to ESPN.
The No. 2 pick, Darryn Peterson, drew significant attention for his health and playing status during the college season; those issues were among the most discussed storylines of the year, ESPN reported.
